344 DISORDERED EYES. 



eyes were commonly as bad as before. Bathing in the 

 river, which I repeated as often as I could in the mm- 

 mer feafon, was undoubtedly the mofi: falutary of all 

 the remedies I had recourfe to ; and in fome meafure 

 repaired the damages which the frequent purgings, 

 bleedings, and cuppings, had necerTarily occalioned. 



In my feventeenth year my eye-lids actually began 

 to be fomewhat lefs frequently inflamed ; and it was 

 juft at that period that I attacked, the fc.holaftic fciences 

 with all the raging ardour of a lover ; and at once 

 became infatiable in that fpecies of pleafure which the 

 fludy of them procured me. Were I to relate the feriea 

 of rny immoderate occupations on each fucceffive day„ 

 my reader would be no lefs furprifed than I am myfelf, 

 how the body of a lad of fixteeri or feventeen years of 

 age, and Hill growing, could fupport itfelf under fuch 

 unremitted and unnatural exertions ; and he would find 

 the confequent deterioration of my eyes very compre- 

 heiilible. But as that detail might be difagreeable by 

 its prolixity, I confine myfelf foleiy to the relation of 

 the general ftate of the cafe ; that I feldom allowed 

 myfelf above five hours, frequently no more than three 

 or two, for fleep, frequently even watched out the whole 

 night without any fleep ; and even by day but rarely in- 

 dulged myfelf in an hour of relaxation, except that 

 which was fet apart for dinner. 



In defiance of the prudent ceconomy of nature, to 

 chear my drooping fpirits in my nightly fhidies, I ufed 

 to take tea the whole night through ; and was flraple 

 enough to imagine, that this was a fufFicient nourifh- 

 ment to my body, would recruit my fpirits, and afford 

 a" competent fupply of invigoration to the powers I was 

 fo prodigally confuming by the midnight lamp. For 



allaying 



